From IEBLOG

Back in April 2006, we made a change to how Internet Explorer handled embedded controls used on some webpages. Some sites required users to “click to activate” before they could interact with the control. Microsoft has now licensed the technologies from Eolas, removing the “click to activate” requirement in Internet Explorer. Because of this, we're removing the “click to activate” behavior from Internet Explorer!

So you’re probably wondering when we are going to release this update? The first chance will be with an optional preview release, called the Internet Explorer Automatic Component Activation Preview, available in December 2007 via the Microsoft Download Center. Additionally this change will be made part of the next pre-release versions of Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3. After giving people enough time to prepare for this change, we’ll roll this behavior into the IE Cumulative Update in April 2008, and all customers who install the update will get the change.

For more info, click the link at the top.

Stick it to the man.

[phishman]

Is this a joke? They made us do all that work find new ways to insert Flash into a page and then a year later decide to come up with the cash? I blame EOLAS for this entire mess, they were pretty much just trying to screw MS for a boat load of cash and didn't go after anyone else.

[Anik]

it was about time...

[phishman]

Wow, read the comments at the bottom. Lots of ignorant people over there...

[tiran]

Funny thing is most people will prob still continue to use swfObject for other reasons anyway.

[flashd]

What about people using swfObject. Will they need to go back to object embed?

[tiran]

no.

[flashd]

Originally posted by tiran
no.

phew

[Isocase]

Very interesting!

[nrg]

They have no idea how much of my time went into fixing client websites because of this joke. What's the invoice address of Microsoft?

[Nutrox]

The click-to-activate thing actually did a lot of good. It made people think about XHTML valid ways of embedding Flash movies, and it also helped people to understand about some SEO techniques (replacing HTML content with the Flash movie). Yes it is good that Microsoft now have a license but that doesn't mean we should all go back to dumping the <object> markup directly into the HTML.

The thing that annoys me though is that Microsoft have obviously licensed the technology now because the <object> element is required to embed Silverlight into HTML. So they screw Flash developers by adding the click-to-activate thing and then suck Silverlight developers "man sausages" by removing it. Microsoft really are a bunch of [insert profanities here] under handed [insert more profanities here].

[phishman]

Um, EOLAS sued Microsoft so people would not use IE anymore, so you guys are sorta kvetching without warrant. The problem is the patent system and how people are patenting everything under the sun.

Let's see, IE, Firefox, Netscape, etc ALL used the <object>/<embed> tags to implement Flash. EOLAS comes along and JUST sues Microsoft so people will have problems and quit using IE. Firefox fans pop up everywhere and Mac users use this as a reason to point out how bad MS sucks. They don't even consider the fact that at any time EOLAS could do the same thing to THEIR browsers, or even ALL browsers.

Yes the entire ordeal sucked, but why blame Microsoft? If they decided to pay them all that money to support a product they were developing (Silverlight) what's wrong with that? In case you didn't know MS is a business, and the purpose of a business is to take care of itself and make money, not worry about a product they don't even make. It's not like Macromedia/Adobe even for a second thought about coming up with a solution for making THEIR BROWSER ADD-ON work with the most widely used browser available.

In the end, EOLAS got rich by screwing all of US DEVELOPERS and the patent system, MS lost tons of money and was harshly criticized, Adobe didn't do anything to help and came out unscathed, and Firefox (which is bankrolled by anti-MS for-profit companies) saw its user base go way up.

[Nutrox]

Adobe did try to help, they updated a lot of their auto-generated HTML templates (used by the Flash IDE etc) to add Flash content to the HTML in a similar way to SWFObject. They didn't need to do that because the click-to-activate thing has nothing to do with them, but seeing as 50% of people are still using IE they decided help out Flash developers instead of ignoring the problem.

Microsoft got what was coming to them, the same is true for the recent fine they received from the European Commission. If Microsoft didn't try to screw everyone all of the time then maybe they wouldn't lose so much money.

Anyway, whatever. I guess there is nothing we can do apart from going with the flow and dealing with these problems when they get thrown our way.

[phishman]

But the click to activate would have had EVERYTHING to do with them had EOLAS gone after everyone, not just the people with money. And who's to say they won't in the future?

Microsoft got what was coming to them because they used the <object> and <embed> tags? Really? What about all the other browsers that do the same thing? Internet Explorer has nothing to do with Microsoft scaring companies or being a monopoly - its a browser that many people use and we have to support.

You can't blame a business for being a business, and whether you or I like it, screwing the competition is capitalism. Such is life

[souichi]

EOLAS doesn't have the patent to using <OBJECT>/<EMBED> tags...they have the patent to the use of ActiveX which is what IE uses to play swf files. That's why MS got sued and other browsers didn't.

[mindtwitch]

When I read this I had the same reaction. Now with the release of Silverlight, MS finally sees the activation hack as a problem even though we've been complaining since day one. However I feel at this juncture MS could have released this update without ever announcing it and very few people would have ever noticed.

Secondly, raise your hand if you need "time to prepare for the change" or if you are going to be jumping back over to the OBJECT/EMBED method. Anybody? <crickets>

Like Nutrox says, SWFObject and the like have far reaching advantages aside from getting around the "click to activate feature" in IE.

Lastly, souichi is correct. EOLAS didn't go after the other browsers because IE was the only one using ActiveX to handle the object/embed tags. Microsoft's implementation of ActiveX was the patent issue, not the tags. And the issue wasn't going after the big bad money man either. "Can't blame" EOLAS "for being a business" and protecting their intellectual property.

Did this ever effect Silverlight playing?

Microsoft can now use this information or idea with naive customers when promoting Silverlight saying that Silverlight doesn't cause any problems unlike the problems they are addressing with Flash.

(maybe I'm just paranoid..)

[rabmcnab]

Originally posted by Nutrox
The click-to-activate thing actually did a lot of good. It made people think about XHTML valid ways of embedding Flash movies, and it also helped people to understand about some SEO techniques (replacing HTML content with the Flash movie).

Good point. As nrg points out, it was a mighty pain in the "hole near the man sausage" at the time, but we all took something away from it.

[ewinter]

First of all, Microsoft did a lot of ActiveX controls themselves, including but not limited to the Windows Media Player.

And moreover, IE is not the only browser employing the activation. In Opera 9.5, I have to click the Flash content each and every time, even if it uses SWFObject (!), or such. I like Opera, but I just don't understand this.

I do believe, however, that this was a sneaky move by Microsoft. Since they gave in, Eolas has even a stonger case now, and can begin targeting Apple, Mozzila, or anybody else with deep pockets.

[Andy-M]

Originally posted by rabmcnab
Good point. As nrg points out, it was a mighty pain in the "hole near the man sausage" at the time, but we all took something away from it.

Unfortunately it doesn't change the fact that many of us had to spend countless nights upgrading client websites.

[tiran]

Originally posted by ewinter
First of all, Microsoft did a lot of ActiveX controls themselves, including but not limited to the Windows Media Player.

And moreover, IE is not the only browser employing the activation. In Opera 9.5, I have to click the Flash content each and every time, even if it uses SWFObject (!), or such. I like Opera, but I just don't understand this.

I do believe, however, that this was a sneaky move by Microsoft. Since they gave in, Eolas has even a stonger case now, and can begin targeting Apple, Mozzila, or anybody else with deep pockets.

Not sure if you understand the lawsuit. Eolas got a copyright for the way objects were embedded on webpages (that went for anything that used object or embed tags like videos, applets, and Flash). They put down the law and said any browser that is not open source must pay them to use the method. Hence no "Click to Activate" in FireFox and hence the "Click to Activate" in Explorer and Opera. They didn't need this to go after anyone else, they already had a case to go after anyone and everyone as soon as they got the copyright. They chose to go after Microsoft for very obvious reasons and MS said they wouldn't pay....Now that Microsoft has a vested interest in it though they have decided to pay. Make no mistake though...if they wanted Mozilla to pay up they could have made them back when they brought the lawsuit against MS...and can still do so at any point regardless of Microsofts stand on it.

[arashsami]

Originally posted by Andy M
Unfortunately it doesn't change the fact that many of us had to spend countless nights upgrading client websites.

Exactly!!!

[modifier]

if(year < 2007) {
useObjectTag();
if(year == 2007) {
dontUseObjectTag();
useWorkAround();
if(year > 2007) {
maybeUseObjectTagOrWorkAround();
confuseTheWorld();
findMyMoneyForUpgradingCustomerWebsites();
setInterval(blameOnEolas, 1000);
}
}
} 

[Nutrox]

That should actually be...

if(year != 0) {
    useHTMLReplacementJSCodeToEmbedFlashMovie();
} 

No one will need to update any client websites because of this change, and let's face it, we should all be using an HTML replacement technique of some kind anyway.

[Renjamin]

Are you kidding me?
OHH Joy! The hours and hours I put into changing everything.

[Tcoz]

Unfortunately, it seems that swfobject is now broken on IE7 in Vista.

Unless there's been an update, and I know the developer is working on it as of just a week or so ago, you can repro it. I use swfobject extensively and dread having to go back and DO IT AGAIN THANKS MICROSOFT.

You know, I got to say, everybody is calling Eolas the bad guy here...

...do you have any idea how many times MS has pulled the exact same game? They are hardly innocent, what comes around goes around. Touche, I say.

[Nutrox]

Originally posted by Tcoz
Unfortunately, it seems that swfobject is now broken on IE7 in Vista.

Could someone running IE7/Vista please pop over to here and see if that works. It doesn't use SWFObject, it just writes a generic object to the document.

I want to know if this is just a SWFObject issue or if MS have decided to seriously screw us.

[nonak]

Works alright Nutrox

Cheers

[Nutrox]

Phew! Glad to hear that, I don't use SWFObject so I think I'm safe then.

[uxte]

Hey Nutrox,

Can you share with us how do you do it then?

[Nutrox]

I just construct a string containing the HTML for the <object> element and then use innerHTML to replace the target element's HTML with that string.

It would be good to know what is causing the IE7 problem though. If it is related to Flash Player version detection then that could be a problem. Although saying that, SWFObject goes a bit OTT with that as well so I will put another little test together and ask you guys to check it out for me.

[Nutrox]

New test for IE7 Vista users is here.